With the winter months fast approaching, a functional home heating system is indispensable. Given that you had probably replaced the system a decade ago or even before, it makes sense to research on the latest technologies. We at Hurliman Heating, specialize in customizing heating solutions for our clients. With professional assistance, you can choose the right appliances and get them installed correctly.
When you think of home heating solutions, your thoughts inevitably explore furnaces, heat pumps, and boilers. Again, you have too many fuel options like gas, oil, and electric systems. This article will answer all your concerns. This way, you can benefit from a low-cost heating system that would keep your interiors comfortable and warm.
Why do you need your heating system to be efficient?
Remember, your HVAC appliances can constitute as much as 30% of your monthly energy bills. Unless you get a super-efficient heating solution for your home, you will repent shelling out high utility expenses.
Additionally, an efficient heating system would deliver optimal comfort to your family members. Neither oversized nor undersized heating appliances would do the needful.
Right from the size of your HVAC appliance to its positioning, we can holistically guide you throughout the process. Before recommending the most appropriate heating solutions, we calculate heat load based on your home’s size. This ensures you won’t run out of heat even during the coldest winters.
Explore different heating solutions for your home
Here are the most popular heating solutions that we recommend to our clients. Based on your specific preferences, you can get the heating system customized.
Furnaces
For most households, furnaces serve as the most efficient solution for heating the home. Typically, you need to fork out anything between $2,000 and $7,000 to purchase these appliances. Compared to electric furnaces, the ones running on natural gas are cheaper. However, installing a furnace would also require ductwork. Sometimes, this makes the heating solution loud. Currently, you will come across three types of furnaces.
1. Gas furnace
Natural gas happens to be an affordable and clean energy source for your furnace. Currently, most households use gas furnaces. However, the trend is now gradually shifting to electric ones. Local utility companies supply this gas to homes through pipelines. Compared to open-source heat pumps, natural gas furnaces involve lower operation costs.
2. Oil furnace
Oil furnaces are quite popular in areas lacking adequate infrastructure to connect gas lines. Local suppliers provide this fuel, stored close to your home in a tank. One of the drawbacks of an oil furnace is the constant necessity to inspect the quantity of oil so that you never run out of it. Propane and heating oil, which serve as alternate furnace fuel, are relatively costly.
3. Electric furnace
With electric furnaces, you would be using your domestic electric connection to power heating coils. This generates the desired amount of heat to keep your indoors warm. One of the perks of using electric furnaces is that these systems don’t emit exhaust gasses. Neither do they pose safety hazards to your homes. However, electric furnaces are slightly more expensive to operate.
Heat pumps
One of the tactical advantages of installing a heat pump is the ability to both heat and cool the air using a single appliance. Branded heat pumps are generally quiet, and their efficiency can be as good as a furnace. The overall cost of a heat pump depends on the area of your home. Upgrading a heat pump can cost you anything between $5,600 and $20,000. Check out whether you are eligible for rebates before you install heat pumps.
Heat pumps can be of two types: air-source heat pumps and geothermal heat pumps.
1. Air-source heat pumps
When you try to cool your interiors, air-source heat pumps deploy their heat-exchange refrigerant features to eliminate the indoor heat and transfer it outside. The function reverses when you heat your interiors. The system captures outdoor heat and brings it inside. Interestingly, this type of HVAC appliance can even extract heat from the cold air outside.
When you heat the indoor space, the system circulates a liquid refrigerant between the indoor and outdoor units. In the process, the fluid transforms into gas and gets back to its liquid state. When this refrigerant remains in the gaseous state, it absorbs heat from the ambient air. Next, this gaseous fluid gets inside your home when the mechanism compresses it to its liquid form. This way, the captured heat gets released indoors to warm your interiors.
2. Geothermal heat pumps
The functional mechanism of geothermal heat pumps is the same as air-source heat pumps. However, they source the heat from nearby water bodies or the soil under your home. The system comes integrated with loops, a series of pipes that remains drilled into the ground. The temperature under the soil remains high around the year. A refrigerant solution or water carries the heat through the loop when necessary.
In terms of efficiency, this system fares the best and slashes energy bills by 70%. However, the installation charges are high for geothermal heat pumps.
Boilers
Boilers are popular heating solutions that require steam to keep your indoor spaces warm. However, they occupy lots of space, which explains the declining popularity of boilers in most countries. Moreover, repairing boilers involves significant financial drainage. The heating units can cost as much as $10,000. Boilers generally operate on electricity or gas. Some of these appliances offer even more efficiency compared to furnaces.
Contact us for any of your HVAC heating needs
When choosing the most efficient heating system, you need to think beyond the operational costs. Make sure to factor in aspects like the availability of fuel, the safety of your home, and whether you can heat the entire space. At Hurliman Heating, we recommend personalized solutions to our clients. Reach out to us for a cost-effective and lasting heating solution for your home, as we find the most energy-efficient and powerful solutions for our clients.
